Amazing May 2004

Ames-Iowa, Orlando-Florida, Katon Bagaskara

Here I am, at the end of May, looking back on what I have experienced this month. I realize that this has been a tremendously unbelievable month! Added with my travel to Boston on the last weekend of April, I had been to 3 different states of America in one month, and passed by 4 other on the way to Massachusetts. Starting on May 7, I went to Ames, Iowa, to visit one of my dearest friends from Bogor, Tyas, and the "Dewi Keributan", Neny. It was a great visit! I have never met Tyas since she went to the U.S. in July 2002.

Magic Kingdom's main street, with Cinderella's Palace on the background. Disneyworld, May 19, 2004

The following week, I went to Orlando. I stayed at my uncle's place for 10 days. He is my mom's cousin; I never met him before, because he has been abroad for so many years, since he did his undergraduate study in the Netherlands. I also met my friends, Vivien and Pax, who just moved to Orlando from Chicago early May. In Orlando, I visited Ripley's museum and WonderWorks on International Drive, Kennedy Space Center, Universal Studios and its Citywalk, Downtown Disney, and of course Disneyworld!  

Left: "Tree of Life", in Disneyworld's Animal Kingdom

Right: Evan and me at Rock n' Roller Coaster, in Disneyworld's MGM Studios. A fun indoor roller coaster ride, colored by Aerosmith songs -- it's so fun that we ride it twice!

Thanks to Victor, a friend of my cousin Evan who works at Disney, we could enjoy Disneyworld free of entrance charge. And because we were there so early in the morning, we went in Animal Kingdom 15 minutes before it was open, and we could be the first guests for "It's Tough to be a Bug" show in the "Tree of Life"! Evan and I were the only audiences for the show, since the first show was played just for us. Evan guided me all the way there so I could see all the 4 parks of Disneyworld and ride their fun attractions in one day. Thanks a lot, Evan, you are the best!

(left to right:) Oom Ben, Tante Loan, Rita, Evan

I came back to Chicago on May 24. Feeling lazy and all, I was just not in the mood to work on anything. However, I forced myself to prepare my independent study for the summer, as well as working on a paper for my professor. Nevertheless, the fun is still around. I met Katon Bagaskara, my favorite Indonesian singer, on the evening of May 30, during his visit to Chicago sponsored by the Department of Culture in Indonesia. He is going to perform in Chicago Cultural Center on June 1, but the Indonesian Consulate and Permias Chicago arranged an occassion for Indonesians with him at LaSalle Street office, at the same time a farewell party for Mr. Dodo Sudrajat and Mrs. Rofita Djamawar. Jaya Suprana was also one of the presenters that night, with his really interesting presentation of various Indonesians singing "Indonesia Pusaka" song, from our President, presidential candidates, to badminton athletes, religious leaders, and becak driver. Katon and Ira were really friendly. I took pictures with them -- one thing I could only dream of when I was still in Indonesia!

Left: Katon & Rita, Right: Katon, singing "Tak Bisa Ke Lain Hati"

(left to right:) Ira Wibowo, Katon Bagaskara, Rita Padawangi :)